pseudonym

noun

pseu·do·nym ˈsü-də-ˌnim

Synonyms of pseudonym next

: a fictitious name

especially : pen name

Did you know?

Pseudonym, has its origins in the Greek word pseudōnymos, which means "bearing a false name." Greek speakers formed their word by combining pseud-, meaning "false," and onyma, meaning "name." French speakers adopted the Greek word as pseudonyme, and English speakers later modified the French word into pseudonym. Many celebrated authors have used pseudonyms. Samuel Clemens wrote under the pseudonym "Mark Twain," Charles Lutwidge Dodgson assumed the pseudonym "Lewis Carroll," and Mary Ann Evans used "George Eliot" as her pseudonym.

Examples of pseudonym in a Sentence

Mark Twain is the pseudonym of the American writer Samuel L. Clemens. the most notorious serial killer of the 19th century remains known only by the pseudonym of Jack the Ripper

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The woman behind the suit, who’s suing under a Jane Doe pseudonym, claims she was fired in June 2024 for complaining about Ye’s antisemitism after a chaotic six months working as a marketing specialist for the Yeezy brand. —

David Matthews, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025 Stone’s mother was an actress, screenwriter, and newspaper columnist who wrote under the name Spellman Stone, so pseudonyms were a family tradition. —

Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 5 Feb. 2025 Now, Theresa, who requested the use of a pseudonym, is awaiting payment for work completed before the blazes and struggling to figure out how to pay her bills and support her two children. —

Simmone Shah, TIME, 26 Jan. 2025 Last summer, our research team spoke with Lianna (a pseudonym), an immigrant woman who came close to being deported. —

Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for pseudonym